3 Books to Help You Stop Overthinking
What to read when you can’t seem to quiet your mind
It was only recently that I realized overthinking might be holding me back. For most of my life, I believed it was okay to be consumed by indecision and worry. Scientific research hasn’t shed light on where exactly that maniacal inner voice comes from, but philosophers and thinkers have been writing about it for centuries. And they’re very helpful—after reading a lot about the subject, I’m more in control of my thoughts than ever.
The following three books are my all-time favorites.
‘A Manual for Living’ by Epictetus
I often write about how Stoicism has helped me find tranquility in life. This classic text by Epictetus, originally called The Enchiridion, is something that resonates with me a lot. You can read it in one sitting, and it contains the most wisdom per sentence than anything I’ve ever read. I’ve read it over and over and still find new ideas and inspiration in this little book. When you keep learning and developing, you start seeing different things in books. That’s what I love about rereading books: The content doesn’t change—you change.
If you haven’t read this book, I recommend dropping everything right now to start reading it. There’s even a free version available online.
‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael A. Singer
This may sound odd, but philosophy will help you stop overthinking, or at least overthinking in the useless, spinning-wheels way. There are obviously differences between Western and Eastern philosophy, but both have the same goal: to help you live better. They just have different vehicles for getting there. The Stoics reasoned themselves to tranquility. Eastern philosophies and methodologies like Buddhism, Zen, and others try to remove reasoning. Instead, they observe the mind. That’s what meditation is.
